BMW RA rally in MI

[PatrickDonovan]

I'm a member of the MOA and not the RA, but I've got the impression that there may be some bad blood between the two. Is that true? How come the RA rally in Michigan isn't on the list of rallies. I went to the RA site and found our rally on theirs. Are there some members here of both org's and what are the differences between them? Curious, that's all.

[jdmetzger]

I'm a member of the MOA and not the RA, but I've got the impression that there may be some bad blood between the two. Is that true? How come the RA rally in Michigan isn't on the list of rallies. I went to the RA site and found our rally on theirs. Are there some members here of both org's and what are the differences between them? Curious, that's all.

I think a number of MOA members are also RA members. As for "Bad blood", I went to their rally last year and I didn't have any problems even though I'm not an RA member. I DID have the unfortunate luck to camp near some people who wanted to tell me how the RA is better and was started before the MOA (among other camplaints they had) but I think that was an isolated incident. Nobody else at the rally seemed to care, and it really wasn't THAT bad - they still shared dinner with me. :) I plan on heading to the RA rally this year, again.

As for differences, I can't say since I'm not an RA member. I know they are a smaller organization.

[PatrickDonovan]

I'm going to try to get to the rally also. I'm in the thumb of Michigan so I can make it in a day. I'm assuming that since it's their national rally, it should be a pretty big one and full of vendors and hopefully a good beer tent with entertainment:dance :drink ?

[jdmetzger]

I'm going to try to get to the rally also. I'm in the thumb of Michigan so I can make it in a day. I'm assuming that since it's their national rally, it should be a pretty big one and full of vendors and hopefully a good beer tent with entertainment:dance :drink ?

The last RA rally DID have a beer tent (with band). I think they had around 3000, maybe 3500 at last years rally. I would imagine it will be about the same this year, but it's hard to say. Last year was a record, and the location was really good, so maybe it will be a touch smaller.

As for vendors, they had a fair number of vendors. It's nothing like the MOA rally, but they had a few covered tents with people selling things - gear and bike accessories.

[PatrickDonovan]

Thanks Josh, I found the forum in the chartered club section also. I'll be there.

[osbornk]

I've been a member of both since I have owned BMW (10 or 15 years). Any friction between the two has diminished greatly in recent years. All of my riding buddies have been members of both for many years. I feel the RA membership is more hardcore (but not as hardcore as the Airheads). If you read their respective magazines, the RA's OTL has information about the internal workings of BMW, upcoming models and changes (some fact and some rumor), mechanical and performance issues with the bikes and similar things. The MOA's ON magazine is more into travel articles, great service by BMW dealers and is more of a general interest motorcycle magazine. I read the latest issue of the ON and even though it is a very slick professional magazine, there was very little information about BMW motorcycles other than the ads.

The rallies are also different. The MOA rally is about 3 times larger than the RA rally. With the smaller number of attendees, the RA rally are usually at better locations but there are fewer vendors and tech sessions. To me the RA rallies are more laid back but the MOA rallies are better organized. The MOA rallies have been in July and the RA rallies have frequently been in June or early October. I have been to more RA rallies only because there have been more in the eastern and southeastern part of the country. Riding through hot flat deserts and farmland in the middle of July doesn't appeal to me.

[Muriel]

Both MOA and RA Rallies are fun and well worth going to. I haven't joined the RA, and I've always been welcomed.

Muriel:thumb